How to Push Leads along your Sales Funnel – 10 Top Lead Nurturing tips

July 7, 2015 by

It’s generally accepted that 90% of your leads won’t convert on their own – at least not immediately.

Free content and independent resources mean that most consumers will happily reach their own conclusions regarding your product – stripping away much of your ability to define or control the purchasing journey.

But no matter who you are, what you sell or how large your business is, incoming prospects should be something you’re familiar with.

The Difference between Drip Marketing and Lead Nurturing

Lead Nurturing is not a static process. It should complement your product with valuable information relevant to each lead, naturally building trust in your brand.

Drip Marketing is a linear process similar to an automated email campaign. Sending out the same 15 emails to every lead you receive is Drip Marketing. Read more about this in our Common Lead Nurturing Mistakes post.

Although better than nothing, a linear email campaign will never reach your full conversion potential.

In order to really reap the benefits of incoming consumer data here are 10 top lead nurturing tips that will help push prospects along your sales funnel.

Top 10 Lead Nurturing Tips

1 | WORK WITHIN YOUR MEANS

Commitment to your process is essential. But don’t commit to something you don’t have the resources to fulfil. Lead Nurturing can take a lot of time and fine tuning – don’t overstretch too quickly.

KEY TIP – Drip Marketing is not ideal, but if your business is starting up or trying Lead Nurturing for the first time, it’s a good place to start.

2 | GET OFF TO A GOOD OPENING

Whether your welcome content is a phone call, a letter or an email, make sure you make a positive impression on your potential customers. The first step is one of the most important ones, so ensure you justify their initial interest.

The more you understand about your prospects, the more effective your lead nurturing content will be. Be sure to develop lead evaluation metrics to help you segment different consumer types into different categories.

Start with their source – did they sign up to your mailing list, subscribe to your blog or order your brochure? Then segment these types by additional demographics, location or affluence. This will help you assign them to your most relevant consumer journey.

KEY TIP – collect as much information about your incoming prospects as you can. If they signed up to some form of account, include a preferences section so that they can tailor your contact to what they need.

4| ANALYSE WHAT DIFFERENT LEADS EXPECT FROM YOU

Once you have segmented your leads into relevant categories, you can now begin to identify what each will most likely expect from you.

Respond to the nature of their source, consider their demographics and identify what you can offer to satisfy their needs and break down objections.

KEY TIP – by offering genuinely valuable and sales-free contact specific to each lead type, you will reaffirm your business as trustworthy and beneficial – helping your leads take further steps along your sales funnel.

5 | CREATE MULTIPLE LEAD JOURNEYS

Key to Lead Nurturing success is the need to tailor different consumer journeys for each of your lead categories. Vary the resources and content you send, the method and regularity of your contact and especially the calls to actions you include.

KEY TIP – Different lead types will expect different content and prefer different media – make sure you predict what these are most likely to be.

6 | IDENTIFY RESOURCES & INFORMATION UNIQUE TO YOU

Valuable content often means finding a niche area or service that only you can offer. The more unique your contact, the more your leads will look forward to it. Repurpose past content into new media to maximise their reach.

KEY TIP – be creative in what you send but don’t overload your leads with information. Stick to one theme or resource per interaction

7 | BALANCE AUTOMATED CONTENT WITH PERSONALISED CONTACT

Nobody expects you to send out a personalised, daily email to each of your leads – automation is a key part of Lead Nurturing.

There is nothing worse than being promised something which never arrives.

Don’t build up consumer trust only to disappoint. Stick to a regular contact plan and keep your leads posted on any upcoming changes.

9 | ANALYSE & MEASURE EVERYTHING YOU DO

Lead Nurturing never ends! Which means the analysis of your strategy shouldn’t either. Tweak, change and improve every aspect of your strategy. Ask for feedback, track your links and measure everything you can.

10 | BE BRANDED, CREATIVE & HUMAN

Don’t fall into a formulaic process. Never stick rigidly to a plan if it isn’t working.

Vary your content and don’t be afraid to try something new, as long as it keeps within your branded guidelines.

KEY TIP – remember that your leads are human, just like you. Be relatable and genuine in how you contact them and offer value you yourself would deem worthwhile.

Keep these 10 points in mind and you will push more of your incoming prospects towards conversion.

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